Case Number 13671: Small Claims Court

The Atheism Tapes

Every purchase you make through these Amazon links supports DVD Verdict's reviewing efforts. Thank you!

All Rise...

Judge Clark Douglas does not exist. His reviews are merely highly-evolved descendants of alphabet soup.

The Charge

A ground-breaking series that will challenge your basic beliefs.

The Case

In 2004, the British neurologist/television personality/knight/atheist/author
Sir Jonathan Miller created the television miniseries Atheism: A Rough
History of Disbelief for the BBC. The series attempted to trace the history
of atheism and included interviews with a wide variety of noteworthy atheists
and historians. However, much of what Miller filmed for the series was not
included in the final cut. "Otherwise," Miller informs us, "the
series would have lasted 24 hours." However, the BBC determined that the
missing material was so interesting and substantial that some of it should be
compiled into another program, The Atheism Tapes.

The Atheism Tapes has a very simple structure. It's six half-hour
interviews that Miller conducted with some of the more well-known and respected
atheists of world. The series attempts to get different perspectives on why
these individuals decided to become atheists, why they are convinced that there
is not a God, and what being an atheist means to them on a personal level. In
collecting a diverse series of viewpoints and opinions, the series attempts give
viewers an understanding of what atheism is and hopes to deflate some of the
stereotypes that surround those who do not believe in God.

The series is presented in a two-disc DVD set, with three interviews on each
disc. On Disc One, we start with English philosopher Colin McGinn, who talks at
length about the arguments people make for why they do or do not believe in God.
He fantasizes about a "post-theist" society, where the idea of God and
religion is looked upon as a curiosity of the past. One of the more compelling
interviewees is physicist Steven Weinberg, who discusses why he feels Darwin's
theory is the strongest argument for atheism, and the connections between
violence and religion. Wrapping up Disc One is the genial American philosopher
Daniel Dennett, who was raised as a Christian and later converted to atheism. He
discusses the reasons for this and also talks about the potential existence of a
soul.

Disc Two kicks off with someone from the world of art, acclaimed playwright
Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman). Miller examines why Jewish
individuals seem more likely to become atheists than members of other religions,
and also talks about the difficulty of giving up the idea that there is some
kind of afterlife. Next is perhaps the world's most well-known (and
controversial) atheist, Richard Dawkins. Dawkins has been described by his peers
as "Darwin's rottweiler," and he clings very closely to an
unadulterated version of Darwin's theory. He attempts to explain natural
selection in laymen's terms and also discusses his own conversion from
Christianity to atheism. Finally, balancing the scales a bit, we have the
British theologian Denys Turner, who suggests that the arguments being made by
both sides are quite close-minded, as individuals only seem to be asking
questions for which they have pre-determined the answers.

Almost all of these speakers are quite engaging and interesting, each one
bringing his own perspective to the proceedings. I particularly liked hearing
from Weinberg and Dennett; both provide very rational and reasonable
examinations of atheism. I also really liked theologian Turner, who makes some
very persuasive arguments for the idea that there actually is a God. Miller and
McGinn are fine, if not as deeply thought-provoking as the others (though
admittedly, this is tough competition). Finally, I've never particularly cared
for Dawkins, who seems to take a very close-minded fundamentalist approach to
both evolution and atheism, refusing to concede any ground to anyone with a
different opinion (this why he was chosen to represent evolutionists in the
controversial pro-intelligent design documentary Expelled). That said, he
seems to have dialed down his extreme tone just a bit here.

Now, before I continue, I feel it is my responsibility to reveal my cards,
lest you think that I am trying to subtly sway you one way or the other. I do
believe in God, and I do subscribe to a particular religious belief
(Christianity, specifically). Nonetheless, I found this series to be fascinating
and thought-provoking. The series will undoubtedly be well-liked by serious
atheists who are interested in hearing the perspective of fellow non-believers.
However, I think the series could be of even more interest to those who do
believe in God. It represents an ideal opportunity to examine your own faith, to
determine what you believe and why you believe it. There are a lot of valid and
engaging questions being asked here, and I think they are questions that deserve
to be answered.

It is not hard to understand why the individuals in this series chose to
become atheists, and why they believe what they believe (or rather, what they
don't believe). If only more religious individuals had such a firm grip on the
reasons they hold their beliefs. I know that some will disagree with me, but I
firmly believe that any religious belief that will crumble to pieces when
seriously questioned is not a religious belief worth having. Additionally, in a
world where we thrive on assumptions and insinuations rather than knowledge and
facts, it is important to know and understand what people of other persuasions
believe, and why they believe it. It's hard to imagine a more well-rounded and
engaging portrait of modern atheism than what is presented by The Atheism
Tapes. While I would have preferred a more well-rounded debate that included
intelligent individuals on both sides of the argument discussing these issues
(the ratio here is 5-1 in favor of atheists), that is not what this series is
about. The Atheism Tapes attempts to provide an
intelligent-yet-accessible examination of atheism, and it succeeds. Thus, this
series comes highly recommend to those who take philosophy, theology, faith, or
atheism seriously.